Household appliance

Abstract

A household appliance including a housing that has an opening; a door rotatable about a first rotation axis between a closed position in which the opening is closed by the door and an open position in which the opening is opened; a first door-opening unit to generate a first opening force to the door at least when the door is in the closed position; and a second door-opening unit to generate a second opening force to the door at least when the door is in the closed position. The second door-opening unit is arranged closer to the first rotation axis than the first door-opening unit.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A household appliance, comprising:
 a housing having an opening;   a door rotatable about a first rotation axis between a closed position in which the opening is closed by the door and an open position in which the opening is opened;   a first door-opening unit configured to generate a first opening force to the door at least when the door is in the closed position; and   a second door-opening unit to generate a second opening force to the door at least when the door is in the closed position, wherein the second door-opening unit is arranged closer to the first rotation axis than the first door-opening unit.   
     
     
         26 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the household appliance is a refrigerator. 
     
     
         27 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the door is attached to the housing by a hinge shaft that defines the first rotation axis, and wherein the second opening force acts on the hinge shaft. 
     
     
         28 . The household appliance of  claim 27 , wherein the second door-opening unit is arranged at least adjacent to the first rotation axis. 
     
     
         29 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the second door-opening unit comprises a spring. 
     
     
         30 . The household appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the spring is a torsion spring. 
     
     
         31 . The household appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the spring has an axis at least substantially parallel to the first rotation axis when the spring is in a free state. 
     
     
         32 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the first door-opening unit is arranged in association with an upper edge portion of the door. 
     
     
         33 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the first door-opening unit comprises a latching member to lock the door in the closed position. 
     
     
         34 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , further comprising a braking system to dampen a rotation movement of the door when the door rotates between the closed and open positions. 
     
     
         35 . The household appliance of  claim 34 , wherein the second door-opening unit is coupled to the braking system. 
     
     
         36 . The household appliance of  claim 34 , wherein the braking system comprises a damper and a transmission unit coupled between the door and the damper to transmit a movement of the door to the damper. 
     
     
         37 . The household appliance of  claim 36 , wherein the damper comprises a rotatable element configured to rotate about a second rotation axis which is distanced from the first rotation axis. 
     
     
         38 . The household appliance of  claim 36 , wherein the transmission unit comprises a gear rotatable about the first rotation axis, and wherein the second door-opening unit is coupled to the gear. 
     
     
         39 . The household appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the housing comprises a storage compartment and a main door to selectively open or close the storage compartment; wherein the opening is formed through the main door; and wherein the door is attached to the main door. 
     
     
         40 . The household appliance of  claim 39 , wherein the main door has a longitudinal side wall and a side portion positioned between the side wall and a longitudinal edge of the opening adjacent to the side wall, and wherein the second door-opening unit is located in the side portion. 
     
     
         41 . The household appliance of  claim 39 , wherein the main door has a thermal insulation space filled with thermal insulation material, and wherein the second door-opening unit is enclosed in a receiving chamber which is disposed in the thermal insulation space and isolated from the thermal insulation material. 
     
     
         42 . The household appliance of  claim 41 , wherein the receiving chamber is defined by a casing, and wherein the casing is attached to a frame mounted around the opening. 
     
     
         43 . A household appliance, comprising:
 a housing having an opening;   a door rotatable about a first rotation axis between a closed position in which the opening is closed by the door and an open position in which the opening is opened;   a braking system to dampen a rotation movement of the door when the door rotates between the open and closed positions; and   a door-opening unit to generate an opening force to the door at least when the door is in the closed position, wherein the door-opening unit is coupled to the braking system.   
     
     
         44 . The household appliance of  claim 43 , wherein the household appliance is a refrigerator. 
     
     
         45 . The household appliance of  claim 43 , wherein the braking system comprises a damper and a transmission unit coupled between the door and the damper. 
     
     
         46 . The household appliance of  claim 45 , wherein the door-opening unit is coupled to the transmission unit. 
     
     
         47 . The household appliance of  claim 45 , wherein the transmission unit comprises a gear rotatable about the first rotation axis, and wherein the door-opening unit is coupled to the gear. 
     
     
         48 . The household appliance of  claim 43 , further comprising a receiving chamber to enclose the braking system and the door-opening unit. 
     
     
         49 . The household appliance of  claim 48 , wherein the housing has a thermal insulation space filled with thermal insulation material, and wherein the receiving chamber is disposed in the thermal insulation space and isolated from the thermal insulation material. 
     
     
         50 . The household appliance of  claim 43 , wherein the door-opening unit comprises a torsion spring.